REPRESENT (REMIX)
Performed by Machel Montano and Freetown
Woh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, one love is the anthem!
Let me see your hand dem, hand dem, hand dem. Wey!
Let me see your hand dem!
I have love for the whole wide world with you at the center
You are the master key,
If love is by my side, then who can deny me?
I keep climbing higher, higher.
We going down the road, hands in the air
People everywhere, love and unity is here
It's that time of year where we don't care
It don't matter where you're from
Put your flag in the air and represent, represent
Just one love, just one love
Just one love, just one love
And represent, represent
Just one love, just one love
Just one love, just one love.
My people, do you listen? Tell me, do you hear?
What is your position for the people? Do you care? Yeah.
When you tell me that you represent
I really want to see some evidence
In Freetown this is evident
So bring it from your soul.
Woh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, one love is the anthem
Let me see your hand dem. Wey!
Woh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, one love is the anthem
Let me see your hand dem. Wey!
'Cause this is Carnival where we come alive
Oh no, we never fight, we gonna dance all night
So just wave your flag, make it touch the sky
We nah go stop tonight so let me see your hands.
Let me see your hand dem, hand dem, hand dem. Wey!
Let me see your hand dem!
I have love for the whole wide world with you at the center
You are the master key
If love is by my side, then who can deny me?
I keep climbing higher, higher.
So represent, represent
Just one love, just one love
Just one love, just one love
And represent, represent
Just one love, just one love
Just one love, just one love.
Woh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, one love is the anthem
Let me see your hand dem. Wey!
Woh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, one love is the anthem
Let me see your hand dem, Wey!
We coming on a mission and we don't really care
One live in distribution and we have some more to spare. Yeah
And we live like this here every day
We do it in love and we don't delay
Love like this we must relay
It fill your heart and soul.
Woh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, one love is the anthem
Let me see your hand dem. Wey!
Woh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, one love is the anthem
Let me see your hand dem, Wey!
'Cause this is Carnival where we come alive
Oh no we never fight, we gonna dance all night
So just wave your flag, make it touch the sky
We nah go stop tonight so let me see your hands...
Source: The lyrics posted on this blog are often transcribed directly from performances. Although it is my intention to faithfully transcribe I do not get all the words and I have a knack for hearing the wrong thing. Please feel free to correct me or to fill in the words that I miss by dropping me a message via e-mail. I'd be forever grateful. Thanks in advance!..............................................................................................................................
A Note From The Gull
Thank you, Machel Montano and Freetown. I usually bypass Carnival music but I found that this remix is special because of the message coming out of the collaboration between Freetown and Machel Montano. In their performances, Muhammad Muwakil and Lou Lyons of Freetown Collective, always appear as rainy season after drought. And they are not the only ones in the homeland who are living proof of the bounty and resilience of Creation. Regeneration emerges from the heart of dead wood and rubble and more are coming to prove that we will survive ourselves. I have hope.
"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.
Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.
Toota toota ek parinda aise toota, ki phir jud na paya Broken, broken, one bird has broken such that it could not be put together again
Loota loota kisne usko aise loota, ki phir ud na paya Stolen, stolen, who has stolen it such that it was not able to fly again.
Oh ohh oh, toota toota ek parinda aise toota, ki phir jud na paya Oh ohh oh, broken, broken, one bird has broken such that it could not be put together again
Loota loota kisne usko aise loota, ki phir ud na paya Stolen, stolen, who has stolen it such that it was not able to fly again.
Girta hua voh asman sey, akar gira zameen par Falling from the sky, it came and fell on the ground
Khwabon mein phir bhi badal hi they voh kehta raha magar In dreams, there were still clouds but he kept saying...
Ke Allah ke bande hansde, Allah ke bande, Allah ke bande hansde, God's children, laugh, God's children, God's children laugh,
Jo bhi ho kal phir ayega Whatever happens, tomorrow will come again.
Allah ke bande hansde, Allah ke bande, Allah ke bande hansde, God's children, laugh, God's children, God's children laugh,
Jo bhi ho kal phir ayega. Whatever happens, tomorrow will come again.
Kho ke aapne par hi to usne tha ud naa sikha After losing its wings, it had learnt how to fly.
Kho ke aapne par hi to, oh oh oh... After losing its wings, oh oh oh...
Kho ke aapne par hi to usne tha ud naa sikha After losing its wings, it had learnt how to fly.
Gham ko aapne saath mein lele dard bhi tere kaam aayega Take the sorrow with you. This pain will be of use to you.
Allah ke bande hansde, Allah ke bande, Allah ke bande hansde, God's children, laugh, God's children, God's children laugh,
Jo bhi ho kal phir ayega Whatever happens, tomorrow will come again.
Allah ke bande hansde, Allah ke bande, Allah ke bande hansde, God's children, laugh, God's children, God's children laugh,
Jo bhi ho kal phir ayega Whatever happens, tomorrow will come again.
Aa aa aaa... Tukde tuke ho gaya tha har sapna jab woh toota
Aa aa aaa... Every dream got shattered when he broke down.
Tukde tuke ho gaya tha, aa aaa aa... It was shattered, aa aaa aa...
Tukde tuke ho gaya tha har sapna jab woh toota Every dream got shattered when he broke down.
Bhikre tukdon mein Allah ki marzi ka manzar paayega. On these scattered pieces, you will find God's wishes.
Allah ke bande hansde, Allah ke bande, Allah ke bande hansde, God's children, laugh, God's children, God's children laugh,
Jo bhi ho kal phir ayega Whatever happens, tomorrow will come again.
Allah ke bande hansde, Allah ke bande, Allah ke bande hansde, God's children, laugh, God's children, God's children laugh,
Jo bhi ho kal phir ayega Whatever happens, tomorrow will come again.
Toota toota ek parinda aise toota, ki phir jud na paya Broken, broken, one bird has broken such that it could not be put together again
Loota loota kisne usko aise loota, ki phir ud na paya Stolen, stolen, who has stolen it such that it was not able to fly again.
Girta hua voh asman sey, akar gira zameen par Falling from the sky, it came and fell on the ground
Khwabon mein phir bhi badal hi they voh kehta raha magar In dreams, there were still clouds but he kept saying...
Ke Allah ke bande hansde, Allah ke bande, Allah ke bande hansde, God's children, laugh, God's children, God's children laugh,
Jo bhi ho kal phir ayega Whatever happens, tomorrow will come again.
Allah ke bande hansde, Allah ke bande, Allah ke bande hansde, God's children, laugh, God's children, God's children laugh,
Jo bhi ho kal phir ayega Whatever happens, tomorrow will come again.
Allah ke bande hansde, allah ke bande, allah ke bande hansde, God's children, laugh, God's children, God's children laugh,
Jo bhi ho kal phir ayega Whatever happens, tomorrow will come again.
Allah ke bande hansde, Allah ke bande, Allah ke bande hansde, God's children, laugh, God's children, God's children laugh,
Jo bhi ho kal phir ayega Whatever happens, tomorrow will come again.
..............................................................................................................................
A Note From The Gull
Thank you, Kailash Kher, for this joyful song. Faith in the endurance and triumph of Good above all else is an endangered element in our world.
"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.
Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.
DON'T EVER LET GO Arranged by Emanuel Ector Album: Fire | Crazy Records | T&T 1986
Let your mind be free, lift your head up high Let it all hang out, don't live in the past But do the things that you really wanted to do for so long And was afraid, and was afraid.
Don't close out the world, be a part of things Let your voice be heard, get your best shot in And fight like hell for your rights, stand up for what you believe And have no fear, and have no fear.
Now, there is no guarantee this may work each time --------- is a everyday word Now listen here now Whatever happens, don't ever let go Whatever happens, don't ever let go Ey-ey ey-ey ey-ey, ey-ey ey-ey ey-ey
Demand your respect, don't fold up inside Give and you will get, bring along your pride And know for sure what you want and how far you'd like to go And look ahead, and look ahead.
Love will take you far no matter who you are The choice is yours to make, be true and don't be fake And find a good thing that works and let the time do the rest Don't hesitate, don't hesitate.
Now if you do realise just how hard it is To try and please everyone Now listen here now Whatever happens, don't ever let go Whatever happens, don't ever let go Whatever happens, don't ever let go Whatever happens, don't ever let go
[Whatever happens, don't ever let go Whatever happens, don't ever let go Whatever happens, don't ever let go Whatever happens, don't ever let go....]
Source: The lyrics posted on this blog are often transcribed directly from performances. Although it is my intention to faithfully transcribe I do not get all the words and I have a knack for hearing the wrong thing. Please feel free to correct me or to fill in the words that I miss by dropping me a message via e-mail. I'd be forever grateful. Thanks in advance! .............................................................................................................................. "Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.
Blessed is all of creation Blessed be my beautiful people Blessed be the day of our awakening Blessed is my country Blessed are her patient hills.
Times may be rough, life may be tough
But we must keep going.
We feeling the pain, yes, we keep holding strain
But we must keep fighting.
Regardless of how it come, we just can't surrender
We got to keep working towards a better future
We may never be always down
And fighting to stay off the ground
We must remember our day will come.
Chorus:
While we appreciate the little life got to give
Regardless what's the hurt, we must think positive
Look on the brighter side, look on the brighter side
Because I see a silver lining behind this grey cloud whey passing
Look on the bright side, look on the bright side
For the bright side is where we going. Oh!
With a heavy load, yes, we going down the road,
But we must keep going.
Like if we commit a crime and we keep serving time,
But we must keep fighting.
Remember they say that nothing lasts forever
One day is for the slave, one day for the master
So always keep your courage up
Don't allow confidence to drop
One day we'll be right there on top.
Chorus:
While we appreciate the little life got to give
Regardless what's the hurt, we must think positive
Look on the brighter side, look on the brighter side
Because I see a silver lining behind this grey cloud whey passing
Look on the bright side, look on the bright side
For the bright side is where we going. Oh!
The journey may be long and you keep falling down
But you must keep standing.
It keep getting hot, like the pressure won't stop
But we must keep going.
Everybody in life does have they lil setbacks
But we just can't say, "That's that," sit down and relax
Don't care what we go through today
Surrender, we must never say
Where there is a will, there is a way.
Chorus:
While we appreciate the little life got to give
Regardless what's the hurt, we must think positive
Look on the brighter side, look on the brighter side
Because I see a silver lining behind this grey cloud whey passing
Look on the bright side, look on the bright side
For the bright side is where we going.
Source: The lyrics posted on this blog are often transcribed directly from performances. Although it is my intention to faithfully transcribe I do not get all the words and I have a knack for hearing the wrong thing. Please feel free to correct me or to fill in the words that I miss by dropping me a message via e-mail. I'd be forever grateful. Thanks in advance!
..............................................................................................................................
"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.
Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.
ACROSS THE DARK WATERS
Performed by Kobo Town
Lead singer/songwriter Drew Gonsalves
Across the dark waters we came
With despair in our eyes,to rest beneath these foreign skies
And so began the endless wait
For an end to misery, for an end to history
In this new land we came to learn
About greed’s capacity to incite our cruelty
But over time we came to yearn
For the precious liberty that always stood beyond our reach
But the wheels of history grind slowly
Circumstance never smiles on the lowly
Everywhere we see contradictory signs
Perhaps tomorrow will being a brighter time…
Tumblin’ off the grandstand on the savannah
Bubblin’ out the speakers on every corner
Breakin’ over the mountain like a mighty thunder
Our hope is a restless song
Rising up from the sands like a defiant flower
Holding and consoling us in our darkest hour
Sweeping over the country like a dry-season shower
Our hope is a restless song
Our hope is a restless song
Across the dark waters we passed
To arrive where we now stand in this divided land
Few believed that we could last
To build a nation on these shores but look how we endured
In this former colony things are never what they seem
Beneath every place we see is a tortured history
The past could trample us
It could not rub out our dreams
And though we reached our present time
We have not left them behind.
But the wheels of history grind slowly
Circumstance never smiles on the lowly
Everywhere we see contradictory signs
Perhaps tomorrow will being a brighter time…
Tumblin’ off the grandstand on the savannah
Bubblin’ out the speakers on every corner
Breakin’ over the mountain like a mighty thunder
Our hope is a restless song
Rising up from the sands like a defiant flower
Holding and consoling us in our darkest hour
Sweeping over the country like a dry-season shower
Our hope is a restless song
Our hope is a restless song
You are my land, you are the land of my birth
For better or for worse, you are the land of my birth
In sickness and in health
And In good times and bad
I bow to you oh Trinidad
Though I have lived out my life far across the sea
In a foreign country in a frozen city
But I know I would be back again
You are the land running though my veins
You are my land , the land of my life
You are my land, the land of my life
Your joy is my light and your sorry my night
Your vision my sight, your soil my birthright
You are the land of my struggle
And your plight is my fight
The land of my struggle
And your plight is my fight
Tumblin’ off the grandstand on the savannah
Bubblin’ out the speakers on every corner
Breakin’ over the mountain like a mighty thunder
Our hope is a restless song
Rising up from the sands like a defiant flower
Holding and consoling us in our darkest hour
Sweeping over the country like a dry-season shower
Our hope is a restless song
Our hope is a restless song
Our hope is a restless song.
These are the events that bring me joy: whenever a writer submits his/her work for posting or I discover some talent hitherto unknown to me. The latter describes my Kobo Town experience. I was directed to their website by a Trinidadian friend living abroad who was equally impressed and her excitement made me curious enough to visit them. I was not disappointed. In fact I was overwhelmed. I am not going to try to decide here which other band or artist they resemble or into which category they fall. All I can say is that for me, they are a much needed breath of fresh air on our music scene.
“Our hope is a restless song.” It isn’t enough that Kobo Town’s music is too sweet to resist, their lyrics/songwriter is also a poet. I have read these words again and again without any music, marveling over the lyrical musings of a Trinidadian who has not forgotten the land that is his birthright. I remember the title of one of Darcus Howe’s articles in the New Statesman containing the following statement about Trinidad: “Not even the cascadura fish could lure me there.” For many Trinidadians living abroad, it would be sweet relief to realise such closure. Neil Bissoondath also expressed a similar sentiment, having attained the enviable release of not having a single regret about leaving Trinidad or having the slightest desire to return.
But what of those who must live apart from a land that they continue to feel as a constant tangible presence running through their veins, as Drew describes it. What must they do to come to terms with the fact that they exist in a constant state of bilocation? Drew uses the vehicles of poetic words and music to give expression to sentiments shared by many expatriate Trinidadians who still love the land of their birth, who feel concern for the plight of their country and dream about return at some point when the choices available to them are not the cold stability of a foreign land versus the steamy chaos back home. In the mean time it is therapeutic just to share, to testify:
You are my land, you are the land of my birth For better or for worse, you are the land of my birth In sickness and in health And in good times and bad I bow to you, oh Trinidad Though I have lived out my life far across the sea In a foreign country in a frozen city But I know I would be back again You are the land running though my veins You are my land, the land of my life Your joy is my light and your sorry my night Your vision my sight, your soil my birthright You are the land of my struggle And your plight is my fight The land of my struggle And your plight is my fight
For me, this song touches upon so many aspects of the experience of being a Trinidadian and the impact of a turbulent history on what remains a turbulent society today.
In this former colony things are never what they seem
Beneath every place we see is a tortured history
Drew neglects neither the good nor the bad that exists, but in weighing them both chooses to focus on the resilience, the “defiant flower”, the exuberance of the Trinidadian that despite everything continues to give us the capacity to dance. The conclusion that this song exudes is one of hopefulness and love because that is what exists in the eye of this beholder:
The past could trample us It could not rub out our dreams And though we reached our present time We have not left them behind.
Perhaps tomorrow will being a brighter time Tumblin’ off the grandstand on the savannah Bubblin’ out the speakers on every corner Breakin’ over the mountains like a mighty thunder Our hope is a restless song Rising up from the sands like a defiant flower Holding and consoling us in our darkest hour Sweeping over the country like a dry-season shower Our hope is a restless song Our hope is a restless song
This is the optimism that has been under constant siege in Trinidad, that is being leached away by the acid rain of unrelenting betrayals, both self-inflicted or otherwise:
And so began the endless wait For an end to misery, for an end to history In this new land we came to learn About greed’s capacity to incite our cruelty But over time we came to yearn For the precious liberty that always stood beyond our reach
The title “Across The Dark Waters” is also well chosen. We had come to associate this specifically with the East Indian experience of crossing the kala paani or Dark Waters to arrive in Trinidad, but here Drew expands this experience to include all who came (and are still coming – Welcome!). We are all united in that experience of the fear and uncertainty of crossing from the familiar to the unfamiliar. Perhaps what Trinidadians are experiencing today is another Dark Waters. Perhaps if successfully negotiated, this is the crossing that will take us not so much to a new country but a new appreciation of what this country means to us and our place in it.But over time we came to yearnFor the precious liberty that always stood beyond our reachIn conclusion, I just have to confess that of late I have been frequently repeating to myself the line, “Our hope is a restless song.” For me that says it all.
Thanks Kobo Town.
This is the first of a series of posts featuring the lyrics from some of the songs off the soon to be released Kobo Town CD entitled “Independence.” Kobo Town is a Canadian based band with very close ties to Trinidad, a few of their members being Trinidadian. As the title of the CD hints, many of these songs are about what Independence has meant for former colonies and in particular, Trindiad and Tobago.
"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.
Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.
Lord, Please walk beside me through this day. Clear the heavy air with the lightness of Your Presence. Guide my hands and steady my heart that I may give comfort when I cannot give hope, that I may give relief when I do not have a cure, and that I may radiate Your healing peace when the limits of science, time, and the human body overwhelm us all. Amen
Source
Sáncte Míchael Archángele, defénde nos in proélio, cóntra nequítiam et insídias diáboli ésto præsídium. Ímperet ílli Déus, súpplices deprecámur: tuque, prínceps milítiæ cæléstis, Sátanam aliósque spíritus malígnos, qui ad perditiónem animárum pervagántur in múndo, divína virtúte, in inférnum detrúde. Ámen
